Background

The enemy that brought about the Fall didn't wear a uniform. It didn't speak of jihads or crusades. It didn't rally extremists to the cause.

Immune to metal detectors, oblivious to terror status rankings, Shiva moved without sound and without fury.

The microscopic virus originated in southern Asia, somewhere between India and Pakistan. It manifested first as a deadly flu epidemic, but how it came about isn't entirely clear. Was it just a quirk of biology? A secret government project gone awry? A purposefully targeted biological weapon? No one ever found out for sure, and with the heightened tensions of the region, few wasted time looking for an answer.

Pakistani radicals almost immediately assumed it was a weaponized virus unleashed by India and retaliated with a nuclear bomb that sparked a devastating exchange between both countries that left hundreds of thousands dead within just a few hours.

Neither fire nor radiation brought humanity low, however. The blasts flung irradiated dust laced with the Shiva virus into the atmosphere, where it mutated into a new and more potent form.

Shiva 2 descended on Asia, spreading rapidly and sparking further nuclear exchanges between ancient enemies. As chaos overwhelmed the world, major cities in Europe and North America, including cities in the United States, fell prey to similar attacks. Civilization collapsed within a few weeks, leaving only a handful of sheltered areas habitable.

The Shiva virus mutated again and again, and stymied scientists who struggled to find a cure. Eventually, the virus reached its final incarnation: Shiva 7. Although it exhibited symptoms similar to those of its predecessors, Shiva 7 was non-lethal. Once the illness ran its course, the virus fell dormant within its host. But by the time Shiva 7 became the dominant strain of the virus, more than 90 percent of the world's population was gone. Nearly all of the survivors were infected with Shiva 7, but its effects seemed minimal for decades.

In subsequent generations, however, hidden effects of Shiva 7 became apparent. The virus caused mutations - some benign, some malignant, and some...quite strange, giving a few people the ability to manipulate the world around them. The virus had altered the fundamental genetic makeup of humanity.

Now, in the year 2154, you find yourself in the Grand Canyon Province, isolated from the rest of the fallen world. Hoover Dam, the last bastion of civilization in the region, has fallen to the Children of the Apocalypse and their allies after decades of conflict. The Enforcers and Techs, once servants of the reviled ruler of Hoover Dam, Alec Masters, now search for a new place in the world. In one of the last habitable regions on earth, humanity struggles to hold on to the last scraps of the old world. The savage Children of the Apocalypse, the wily Travelers, the militaristic Enforcers, the technology-friendly Techs, the nature-loving Vistas, and the mystical and altruistic Lightbearers all struggle for dominance.

They'll become your allies or enemies as you explore, share the adventure, and shape the future of Fallen Earth.

Timeline

Pre-Fall

2022 AD

Several towns in Kansas are ravaged by a series of super-tornadoes.

2033 AD

Hauptmann Brenhauer makes a gambit that gives Brenhauer Investments controlling interest in the major international megacorp known as GlobalTech.

2034 AD

GlobalTech acquires the Grand Canyon and surrounding national park lands.

2037 AD

An earthquake off the Pacific Coast sparks a tsunami that hits Seattle.

2040 AD

Brenhauer Investments opens its majestic new headquarters on the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

2049 AD

GlobalTech moves its headquarters to the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, effectively creating its own little mini-state within Arizona, complete with military controlled borders. GlobalTech creates a corporate-feudal state by 2050.

2051 AD

GlobalTech operations in the Grand Canyon make it self-sufficient, needing no outside food, raw materials, or manufactured goods. Instead it becomes a producer of minerals and finished goods.

2052 AD

Environmentalists and eco-terrorists called the Vista Society covertly infiltrate the Grand Canyon Province, setting up communes in the more remote areas of the Province far from the corporate settlements. They go unnoticed for several months until they start sabotaging lumbering operations in Kaibab Forest.

2054 AD

The Shiva virus is released on the world and begins to spread. The United States government begins construction of the Hoover Dam Garrison.

2055 AD

As the situation deteriorates, nuclear attacks are initiated in and from southern Asia. The Hoover Dam Garrison begins operation under Colonel Orson Masters.

2056 AD

The Shiva virus strikes the Grand Canyon Province. 90% of the population is killed off before the year is out.

2057 AD

Hoover Dam Garrison loses all contact with the outside world. The Grand Canyon Province seems to be alone in surviving the Fall.

2058 AD

The last refugees reach the Hoover Dam Garrison from outside the Grand Canyon Province, specifically from Las Vegas.

Post-Fall

2065 AD

The first rumors of the Lightbearers and their leader Shakti begin to circulate.

2090 AD

Colonel Orson Masters promotes himself to General to better reflect his increased responsibilities in leading the community that the Hoover Dam Garrison has become.

2099 AD

Command of the Hoover Dam Garrison is passed on to William Masters, son of the former leader.

2126 AD

Responding to attacks on its scouts and the rise of the CHOTA leader Redhand, forces from the Hoover Dam Garrison attack the CHOTA settlement of Five Points. In response the CHOTA send a group of mutant assassins into the Hoover Dam Garrison, killing General William Masters. His son Alec Masters assumes control of the Garrison.

2127 AD

Under Alec Masters, the Hoover Dam Garrison becomes a despotism. The CHOTA are forced back to CHOTA Gulch and Siller's Canyon. Mutants are rounded up by the hundreds for experimentation, most never to be seen again.

2132 AD

Alec Masters attacks the Monastery, home of the Lightbearers, capturing their leader Shakti and scattering the order.

2150 AD

After years of conflict, the CHOTA storm the Hoover Dam Garrison with assistance from the Travelers and Vistas. Tired of years of abuse, the people of the Garrison rise up against Alec Masters as well. The Garrison is destroyed in the ensuing battle and the dam abandoned. Alec Masters is killed by the CHOTA.

2154 AD

Current day.

FAQ

What is Fallen Earth?
Fallen Earth is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game set on a post-apocalyptic Earth in the year 2154. Within the Grand Canyon Province, an isolated pocket of settlements around one of the world's most amazing landmarks, you'll face threats to mankind's continued survival, from irradiated zones to mutated beasts to raiders. Six factions struggle for dominance in the province. Over time, you'll have the chance to pick a side in the effort to hold sway over what remains of the post-Fall world.

Who is behind Fallen Earth?
The artists, programmers, and writers at Icarus Studios have built the world and crafted the stories that will unfold in Fallen Earth.

When will Fallen Earth be released?
It'll be done when it's done. Seriously. We've been developing the game for several years, and we're not interested in making the mistake of releasing a game that's not ready for players. However, you can rest assured that we're just as eager to see the game go live as you!

How much will Fallen Earth cost?
We haven't announced retail pricing for the game yet, but it will be competitive with other major MMOs.

What races will I get to play?
Just humans. This is the homeworld of humanity and you're trying to rebuild on the ruins.

What classes will be available?
We're not making our players choose a class. Instead, players will customize their characters with stats, skills, abilities, and mutations.

Will other players be able to gank me in the early stages of learning the game?
No. All players start in the Plateau, which doesn't allow for Player vs. Player combat. PvP is introduced later in the game.